Ten, together…

I started this crazy, little experiment called BUILT TO LEAD ten years ago in June of 2002. In 2003 I stumbled onto Chateaubriand’s famous quote about work and life, labor and leisure, and that mastery in the art of living is all about playing with it all. 2004, my fellow builder, Larry, introduced me to some Latin. He taught me about the two latin words that translate, literally, to the English word, work. Opus entered BTL language and a piece of the melody line was emerging.

That same year I began to fall in LOVE with the idea that the foundation of our work wasn’t building your foundation. Funny, huh. I latched onto the CORE concept and began to write about our figurative and literal CORE and how they both are needed to hold us together and keep us upright.

2005 would roll around faster than expected and I began to think about giving BTL a facelift. The dark blue and very basic logo just didn’t feel like me or the band of builders that was starting to come ’round. So I, mostly on my own, and with the input of a trusted few began to interview designers. Element was the perfect fit. Two years later, the new logos were born, new playbooks were authored, and as we launched this affair on a cool evening at Muirfield, I can remember feeling very satisfied that my masterpiece, at least a version of it, was being authored. I knew next to nobody knew. I knew. I knew Miss knew. I knew Larry knew. And, I knew that others were beginning to believe…

In 2008 I knew that I no longer wanted to work for public companies. They knew I wasn’t a fit for their message. I knew they didn’t like my jeans, my lack of a filter, and my lack of compromise. I knew what I wanted. My belief was getting stronger. Somewhere in this year, I knew I couldn’t go back. I knew.

2009, my brother and best builder, Larry, went home, for eternity. I felt, in that moment, like I knew nothing…

2010 would bring me some work in STL that would serve as a catlyst for additional clarity. Opus would change from a word that we use to describe a labor of love, to a word that would describe an overarching vision, purpose, unifying strategies, and scorecard for significance. Freakin’ MAGIC.

In 2011 another rewrite to the playbooks would occur. This one would not be a wholesale facelift but would simply be a “missing piece” addition of 18 pages in length. This piece would bring clarity to the melody line of this massive effort called becoming BTL. OPUS, PoP, and sCORE would cement themselves in our vocabulary. These are the three we want you to want…

It’s 2012 and it feels like we’re just getting started even though we’ve been at it for a decade now. This past week, however, felt like the best week for BTL. Everywhere I turned, there were clients authoring their CORE and converting it into their sCORE. I saw PoP’s that were disciplined and very specific. I read OPUS after OPUS that were clearer and clearer, at least to their author. I went into one client and saw TRX’s hanging from the ceiling and worldviews all over the walls. I probably reviewed over a dozen OPUS versions this past week alone. To most folks that isn’t much. To me, it feels like a real breakthrough. My sense is that after ten years of BTL, we are on the verge of having a couple dozen certified “nutcases.” Nutcases that believe in this work and nutcases that have discovered the power that comes with the 10th rinse, the 7th PoP, and the nuanced but never finished worldview.

Why do I write this for Y.O.U. to read?

I want you to realize that, if you’re reading this, you most likely are in the process of becoming BTL and you’re probably really frustrated with how long it’s taking and how non linear your progress. I want you to be encouraged and keep climbing. Clarity is coming and when it comes, it always feels like it should have been here all along. Y.O.U. can live your OPUS, your masterpiece, if you will. Y.O.U. and I are on our builder’s journey. I really appreciate your help. I am glad we’re working together. AND, together we’re improving.

Thanks for ten, together…